In New York City, 1967, The Velvet Underground released what Rolling Stone calls the “most prophetic rock album of all time.” Renowned and controversial artist Andy Warhol took a chance on the Velvet Underground’s talent, teaming them up with German singer Nico as part of his experimental series of live acts, Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Warhol was also responsible for the iconic banana album cover. Although popularly unsuccessful and a financial failure, “The Velvet Underground & Nico” is now one of the most influential and highly praised albums among musicians, critics and fans alike.

Producer Brian Eno famously stated in a 1982 interview, “I was talking to Lou Reed the other day and he said that the first Velvet Underground record sold 30,000 copies in the first five years. The sales have picked up in the past few years, but I mean, that record was such an important record for so many people. I think everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band! So I console myself thinking that some things generate their rewards in a second-hand way.”

If you’re unfamiliar with the Velvet Underground, you’ve definitely heard their influence in hundreds of artists’ works — David Bowie, Glenn Danzig, Joy Division, Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Pixies, The Strokes, Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, The Smiths — the list goes on and on. In 2009, Beck even did a track-by-track cover of “The Velvet Underground & Nico.”

Regardless of musical tastes and background, everyone should listen to “The Velvet Underground & Nico” at least once in their life, and then again and again and again. This isn’t an album where you download a $0.99 single on iTunes and call it a day. “Nico” is a full work of art from start to finish and can only be fully appreciated as a whole, not in pieces. Interjecting noisy, experimental art songs between catchy pop songs, all discussing sexuality, drugs, prostitutes and a New York City that will never again exist, the album displays a wide range of talent and taste that can never truly be replicated. In the midst of the hippie movement, Lou Reed and the gang decided not to be pussies and to spark a counter-movement that would blow everyone out of the water. Not to mention, the recording and production has an authentic feel that still makes it relevant today. You can see a lot of hipster bands today trying (and failing) to recreate the lo-fi, substance-rich tone the Velvet Underground mastered 45 years ago.

So if you’ve never heard of the Velvet Underground, start with “Nico.” You won’t be disappointed. Join the new generation rediscovering it, just as each generation has since 1967. Maybe it will inspire you to create something of your own, like it did to the Sex Pistols, David Bowie, Sonic Youth, R.E.M. and just about any rock artist worth their salt. And if you’re already a fan, be sure to pick up the recently released 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Box Set, packed with six discs of unadulterated fan-service. All the tracks have been remastered, along with live versions, alternate takes and B-sides. Listen to, re-listen to and absorb what is “The Velvet Underground & Nico” and make all tomorrow’s parties a bit more bearable.